2 suspicious package calls in Saskatoon deemed non-hazardous

Police, fire and hazmat teams were first called a downtown office building at 211 4th Avenue South around 10:15 a.m.

Officers said an envelope containing a white, powdery substance was dropped off after 10:15 a.m. A hazmat team tested the substance and found it to be non-hazardous.

As a result of the call, 10 workers were quarantined on the first floor and traffic was restricted at 4th Avenue and 20th Street for the duration of the work. The case has been turned over to Saskatoon police for further investigation.

Shortly after emergency crews wrapped up downtown, a call came in of a suspicious delivered to the Saskatoon Cancer Centre on Campus Drive around 12:40 p.m.

Officials confirmed the second package contained what appeared to be a white powder substance, which was later determined to be non-hazardous.

Saskatoon police spokesperson Alyson Edwards said the package was discovered in a “relatively confined area” of the cancer centre, allowing patients to continue treatments. Police also credited “quick-thinking employees” for handling the situation well and reporting it immediately.

Edwards noted it’s still too early to determine whether Monday’s incidents are linked.

“We have seen in the past that several packages were connected in another incident, and that will certainly be something we look into in this case as well,” she said.

Downtown connection

The first call Monday to 211 4th Avenue South was the scene of a similar incident in November 2016.